10 Country Ghost Stories That Will Chill You to the Bone

We don't recommend reading about these spooky backwoods hauntings in the dark.

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By
Nadia Chaudhury

Oct 14, 2016

The country is usually a friendly and welcoming place, but come October, when the air turns chilly and the full moon rises in the sky, those crumbling fixer uppers and rambling dirt paths can start to feel more sinister. Here, we've rounded up a few of the spookiest tales of backwoods hauntings.

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The Bell Witch | Adams, Tennessee

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You might already be familiar with the Bell Witch —An American Haunting and The Blair Witch Project were both partially based on the infamous ghost tale, after all. In the early 1800s, John Bell and his family moved to an area of Tennessee that was known as Red River. One day, Bell claimed he saw a curious creature on his land: a dog with a rabbit head. Soon, he and his family began hearing strange noises, like rats chewing, dogs barking, chains rattling, and whisperings from a woman, who came to be known as the Bell Witch (widely believed to be the ghost of Kate Batts, a neighbor of Bell's that swore vengeance over a land dispute on her deathbed). It became such a big phenomenon—neighbors confirmed the unexplained happenings—that even Andrew Jackson visited in an attempt to find out what was happening. Eventually, Bell was mysteriously poisoned and he passed away; his death was rumored to be the doing of the Bell Witch.

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The Ghosts of the Crescent Hotel | Eureka Springs, Arkansas

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Spend the night in the haunted Crescent Hotel, which opened in 1886 (during construction a worker named Michael was killed, and his ghost still haunts room 218). The hotel came under the ownership of known medical fraud Norman Baker in 1937, who fancied himself a doctor. He turned the hotel into the Baker Cancer Hospital, claiming to have the cure for the disease (he did not, obviously). Patients who died under his care were buried right in the hotel's basement, which served as a makeshift morgue. He was arrested in 1940, but his patients' spirits are said to still remain. Since the hotel is still open, guests often say they see apparitions and hear noises during their stays. SyFy's Ghost Hunters even has footage of something moving in the basement.

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Huggin' Molly | Abbeville, Alabama

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It's best to stay home when the sun sets in this Alabama town if you want to avoid Huggin' Molly's chilly embrace. As the legend goes, beginning in the early 1900s, an oversized figure clad in all black began roaming the streets at night looking for unsuspecting victims. Once she fixates on someone, she hugs the person and screams ever-so-loudly into their ears. Many people have recounted stories of being chased, by what they believe was Huggin' Molly. Local parents have even taken advantage of the story to keep their young'uns in line. The town embraces its nighttime warden, proudly calling itself the "home of Huggin' Molly." There's even a family-friendly restaurant named after her!

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The Surrency House Ghost | Surrency, Georgia

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The Surrency clan began experiencing paranormal activities in the 1870s. Family members reported witnessing objects soaring across rooms, hearing laughter and crying, and seeing red eyes staring into the house. Food was thrown from their plates, and utensils twisted into unusable shapes. The townspeople speculated that these occurrences were cries for help from spirits who thought the family would be able to save them. On the day the family decided to finally leave the house, a fire iron floated up and started hitting one of the sons on the head. No one was ever brave enough to live in the house again, and the building went up in flames in 1925.

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The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge | Marianna, Florida

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For a taste of true haunting love, travel over this spooky bridge in Marianna, Florida. In the 1830s, Elizabeth Jane Bellamy married local politician Dr. Samuel C. Bellamy. On their wedding night, her dress accidentally caught on fire, which covered the young bride in horrible burns. She initially survived, but eventually passed away. Elizabeth was buried along the banks of the Chipola River, and it was said that her love for her husband was so strong, she couldn't rest. The deceased newlywed, dressed in white, can be seen wandering the banks from the vantage point of the bridge (which was built after she died). Sometimes she appears on fire either walking through the swamps or diving straight into the river, as if to douse the flames, or somberly walking along the side of the river. If you want to witness the ghost of Bellamy Bridge in person, there's a ghost walk on October 28.

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The Ghost of Deer Island | Biloxi, Mississippi

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In the early 1800s, two fishermen spent the night on Deer Island off Biloxi's coast. They heard noises that they ignored until it became impossible to do so. When they went to see what was causing the ruckus, they claimed they found a headless skeleton that ran after the pair. They immediately made a beeline for their boat and got off the island stat. It's said that the boney frame belongs to a pirate who had his head chopped off by his captain, and his body left behind as a ghastly guard to watch over buried treasure.

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Zombie Road | Wildwood, Missouri

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Outside of St. Louis lies Zombie Road, a hotbed of ghostly activities. There are many scary stories stemming from Lawler Ford Road (its actual name), from sightings of Native American spirits wandering the stretch to victims of train accidents (there used to be active tracks) like Della Hamilton McCullough, who was struck by a passing train. In the 1950s, it became a popular late night teen hangout spot, with various suicides and murders happening in the area. It's also been rumored to be the homebase of a murderer named Zombie, who escaped a mental asylum. These days, the stretch has been rechristened as a nature trail, but it is closed once night falls (with hefty fines for those who dare to trespass).

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Dead Woman's Crossing | Weatherford, Oklahoma

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This one's a regular ol' murder mystery turned ghost story: In the early 1900s, Katie DeWitt James left her home with her baby after she filed for divorce from her husband. She planned to move in with her cousin, but her family never heard from her. After an investigation, it turned out that she moved in with local prostitute Frannie Norton. She was last seen leaving the house with Frannie and her child in a carriage. Frannie returned with the child, who was covered in blood, but without Katie. Her body was found later, along a nearby creek, with her head cut off. It was rumored that her ex-husband had her killed with Frannie's help, but Frannie claimed she wasn't involved in Katie's death. But on the day she was supposed to be questioned by the police, she poisoned herself. Katie's still around, though. She appears as a blue light floating around town, and people have reported hearing a woman looking for her baby and the rolling sound of wheels.

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The Myrtles Plantation | St. Francisville, Louisiana

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Of the numerous spirits haunting this plantation, built in 1796, the most known entity is Chloe. It's said that plantation owner Clark Woodruff carried on an affair with his slave, Chloe, which he ended abruptly. She began to eavesdrop on his conversations and he caught her. As punishment, he cut her ear off. She then poisoned the rest of his family with a birthday cake, leaving him alone. The other slaves knew what she had done, and hanged her. She supposedly still remains on the property, though — there is a photograph from 1992 where her spirit is visible.

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Devil's Backbone | Texas Hill Country

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Head out into Texas Hill Country to hear horses gallop along the high-rising limestone ridge—but don't expect to see any hoofprints left behind. Devil's Backbone is home to many specters, including ghostly Confederate troops marching across the land. There's also a woman dressed in all white seen walking along the road, the boy with an imaginary friend, and a girl with a hole in her head (because her father shot her). The ghostly happenings even extend over to the Devil's Backbone Tavern, where signs forewarn of friendly spirits who enjoy causing a ruckus, like turning televisions on and off.

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